23 Feb 17
News

1 in 25 new cars in EU runs on alternative fuel

Electric car charging at a station

Last year, 609,629 alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) were registered in the EU, a 4.1% increase over 2015. Most of the uplift came from Hybrid-Electric Vehicles (+27.3%), followed by Electrically-Chargeable Vehicles (+4.8%). All the other alt-fuel vehicles (LPG, NGV, Ethanol, etc.) actually saw their sales decline (-19.7%). In all, alt-fuel vehicles accounted for 4.2% of total passenger car registrations in the EU – and 4.6% for the entirety of the EU and EFTA countries, the latest figures released by ACEA show. Which means that more than one in 25 new cars in Europe is now powered by alternatives to the classic combustion engine. 

Specifically for the fourth quarter of last year, alt-fuel vehicle registrations in the EU increased by 1.2% compared to Q4 2015, to 168,103 units. HEV registrations grew by 25.1% to 76,930 units, while ECVs decreased by 16.5%. That drop has to be put into context to last year's spectacular Q4 growth of 160.5%. All other alt-fuel vehicle registrations continued their decline (-8.1%), totalling 41,536 units. The main reason for this downturn is a contraction of the Italian market, which accounts for the majority of LPG and NGV vehicles.

Among the Big Five, AFV growth was strong in Spain (+49.4%), Germany (+21.9%) and the UK (+14.9%). France, while registering a modest decline (-1.4%) in total AFV registrations, still accounted for the largest number of HEV registrations (15,448) during Q4 2016.

Image: Cephoto, CC BY-SA 3.0

Authored by: Frank Jacobs